Love You Forever
by Air-Quiet-Reader
Summary: Two mothers. One daughter. One lullaby. The story of how two different women interacted with Rapunzel in very different manners, but both loved her in the end, as she loved them. Based on the Robert Munsch story of the same name. Oneshot.


This is a fic so inspired by Robert Munsch's "Love You Forever" that it could almost be called a crossover. Full credit to him for inspiring this, as well as for the brilliant repeating lullaby and more than a few of the concepts I use.

A youtube link to Robert Munsch telling the story: Youtube at .com/watch?v=-ES-fp2fdzk - I'd suggest listening for at least an idea on how the song in this one goes.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Tangled or any of it's components, which are property of Disney. I also do not own "Love You Forever", any of it's components, or any of it's lines, which are property of Robert Munsch.

* * *

The Queen of Corona beamed down at her new born daughter with the strength of the sun, as she rocked her back and forth on the balcony overlooking their great kingdom. The Queen could not believe her fortune- the miracle of surviving her disease and to get this amazing little girl in the end. It had her thanking just about every person in the kingdom that had banded together to save them.

Looking upon the princess Rapunzel, whose usual constant smile was starting to fade as a sleepy expression appeared on her face, the Queen reflected on the girl. Rapunzel was very energetic for a child so young, constantly crawling around and trying to escape her crib to explore. Just the other day Rapunzel had managed to get into the Queen's paints and make a mess of the walls. Sometimes, Rapunzel just drove her crazy! Yet, the Queen knew she would not have it any other way. Raising the girl was going to be an adventure and a challenge, but a worthwhile one.

The Queen began to sing a small song to will her tuckered out baby to sleep, as the night began to fall upon them.

**"I'll love you forever. ****I'll like you for always. ****As long as I'm living, ****my baby you'll be."**

Rapunzel's eyes fell as the dimension of sleep claimed the long-haired blonde, whilst the Queen shed a tear of happiness as she went inside the castle.

* * *

The Queen bawled in her husband's chest, trying to breathe but struggling, the air itself seeming as cold, dark, and cruel as the rest of the kingdom. Mere days after her birth, someone had stolen their wonderful daughter away. Someone had taken their child...their world. The King wept along with her, before walking out to quickly send out orders to find and capture the kidnapper.

The Queen, told to stay and wait for her lover to return, stumbled about their room, tossed around in the waves of grief. She made it over to her baby's crib, and pulled out Rapunzel's favorite purple blanket. She brought it up to her face, breathing in the light smell of something resembling sunflowers. Rapunzel's smell. Fresh tears coming on, the Queen sang outwards to her baby, dreaming of holding her child in her arms again.

"**I'll love you forever. I'll like you**-" she broke mid-line in a sob, before continuing. "for...**for always. As long as I'm living...my baby you'll be**." the Queen could no longer hold herself up, and she collapsed to the floor, heart broken, soul crushed.

* * *

Gothel covered her ears, severely annoyed. She was supposed to get a small lock of hair out of this- not an irritating, wailing, pooping baby! The princess seemed to be crying all the time in her crib, constantly fussy, as if the stupid brat realized she had been taken away from her true home. The girl was driving her crazy.

Gothel sighed in depression, flipping the next page of the baby book. Her youth and life depended on the child now, so Gothel knew she was going to have to learn to be a mother, no matter her mild disgust at the thought. She glanced down at the next page, and saw a short lullaby on it. Deciding to give it a shot, Gothel memorized it before picking the struggling child up, and rocking her back and forth, serenading her:

"**I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be**."

Amazingly, Rapunzel's tears stopped immediately, the golden flower now staring up at Gothel with wide green eyes. From her tear-stained vision, the future queen thought she was looking at her mother. Gothel grinned maliciously; delighted she had found something to shut the kid up. As she continued humming the tune however, and set the exhausted baby to sleep, Gothel felt something stirring in her heart. She tried to stamp the emotions out as she tucked the very cute child into her crib. She would not succeed in eliminating the feelings.

* * *

"Why can't I go outside, mommy?" asked a ten year old Rapunzel again, as she ran around hyper actively.

Gothel repeated it for what felt like the hundredth time. This insane former princess was driving her crazy with her constant questions. "For the last time, Rapunzel, the world is too horrifying for you out there. You must be here, where you are safe. You are far too young-"

"But I'm a big girl now, mother! I can take care of myself!" Rapunzel pleaded.

Gothel shushed her daughter, picking her up, rocking her back and forth. Rapunzel tried to climb out of her arms, but Gothel was having none of it. Her cold heart stirring with the heat of love, Gothel belted out the lullaby. "**I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be**." Rapunzel calmed down instantly, the song triggering the same response it always did. "No matter how much you age, flower; you'll always be my little baby. And no matter how much you age, the world will still be just as dangerous for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes mommy."

* * *

Gothel prepared to set off on a rather tiring journey to get Rapunzel her desired birthday gift. It was troublesome, but the teenager deserved it, on her eighteenth birthday at least. Gothel, who had just shouted out harshly at Rapunzel, told herself that her menacing was for the best- that Rapunzel needed to be kept safe, and not just for her hair. Though she'd never admit it to anyone else, the exuberant princess had managed to squirm her way into Gothel's soul- Gothel loved her truly. That love, however, sealed it for Gothel- she could never risk losing her daughter, her flower, by letting her go free. If Rapunzel ever found out what she truly was, she would leave Gothel, which would cause Gothel to perish in both the literal and figurative sense, cared for by no one in the world.

Gothel set out through the rocks, leaving her baby behind safe, where she belonged. Little did she know that her journey would tear them apart.

* * *

Rapunzel buried her face inside the only items of Gothel that remained in her world- the traveling cloak and red dress. Her mother had faded into dust, truly leaving this world forever. Despite all the terrible things her mother had done to her, Rapunzel could not help but weep for her fallen guardian. Rapunzel argued with herself. Gothel had to have loved her. She just had to. And no matter what, Gothel had been her mother for eighteen years, had cared for her in incredible ways. That was never going to change.

Burying her face into the cloak, Rapunzel vocalized the force of her emotion, the tune causing Rapunzel to shake violently:

"**I'll love you...forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I**-" Rapunzel gasped, desperately trying for the oxygen to continue. "...**I'm living, my mommy you'll be**." She fell to the muddy ground, crying what she felt would be a river. Eugene came up behind her and placed a consoling hand upon her shoulder, attempting to help Rapunzel get through this.

* * *

Newly re-crowned princess Rapunzel prepared to spend her first night in the cold and dark castle. She had been rather meek and withdrawn all day, not accustomed to the kind of attention giving environment. With everything that had happened the past few days, Rapunzel was also feeling rather drained of energy.

"Need any help, dear?" Rapunzel jumped up in surprise, turning around to see the Queen standing behind her, walking into her room. Rapunzel shook her head slightly, becoming uncomfortable all of a sudden. It had been awkward having her biological mother around, after all that had happened with Gothel, after eighteen years apart. It was an adjustment Rapunzel struggled with greatly.

"I know there's something that's been bothering you, Rapunzel. Please, talk to me. That's why I'm here for. I can't stand you being afraid of me." the Queen confessed morosely, moving closer towards her daughter. The Queen had been on an emotional high after finally being reunited with her daughter. Her heart had healed in ways she thought it never would. But a different sort of heartache took its place- the heartache of lost time, lost years she would never have with her little girl.

Rapunzel decided to respond with one of the many questions she had, and the one at the current forefront of her mind: "How can you love me? I've been gone for so long...how can you possibly accept someone like me? Someone so not yours?" Rapunzel asked with little confidence.

The Queen grinned as she took her morose princess into her arms, kissing the crown of her head softly. "Nothing, including time, could ever change the love I have for my daughter. Nothing." The Queen began a melody- the old lullaby that she had longed to display to her baby for eighteen years:

"**I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be**."

Rapunzel's eyes nearly bulged out of her sockets as stinging water burned around them. She gazed up at her mother, who was looking down at her daughter with an altruistic face. "Do you remember that, dear? I sang it to you all the time in those few days we had you as a baby."

Rapunzel was shocked, before she gently nodded. She buried herself into her mother's arms, feeling warm inside all of a sudden. "Please sing it again, mommy." Rapunzel requested, referring to the woman as her mother for the first time. The Queen beamed down at her.

* * *

An adult Rapunzel screamed in lamentation on the Queen's death bed, feeling as if her heart was going to explode in grief. It had been fifteen years since Rapunzel had returned to the castle. Fifteen years of laughs, of adventure, of loving hugs and kisses and experiences with her mother. This pain was nearly unbearable, and horrifyingly familiar.

"There-" the Queen coughed harshly, before weakly continuing "There, Rapunzel. It's alright. I can die in peace, a happy woman. I've had a blessed life, and now it is my time to leave it."

"But I don't want you to go. How can I possibly live without you?" Rapunzel asked.

"I'll never leave you, Rapunzel. I'll always be with you- in your heart." the Queen answered, wisdom filling her voice to the brim. The Queen took in her final deep breath, before trying one last time to console her daughter.

"**I'll love you**...for...for...**ever. I'll like you**...for...always." the Queen tried to stretch her vocal chords, but could not manage it, so sickly. Rapunzel helped her, crying more at the tune. Inspired, the Queen found her last burst of vigor. Together, they sang the last lines:

"**Beyond when I'm living, my baby you'll be**." "**As long as I'm living, my mommy you'll be**."

The Queen faded from the land of the living, as Rapunzel quietly mourned into her stomach.

* * *

Rapunzel bid her husband Eugene a goodnight, before she climbed up the steps towards the baby room. Stepping in, she picked up her gently whining daughter into her arms, rocking her back and forth. The little brown-haired child took after her mother in the energy department- always wanting to yell out in joy, and trying to get attention. It drove Rapunzel and Eugene crazy sometimes. Yet, Rapunzel knew, she would not have it any other way.

Rapunzel began to hum very softly, lulling her own daughter into slumber with the song of Rapunzel's two loving mothers:

"**I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be**."


End file.
